Resisting Change

Change is sure to come.  It doesn't matter where we live, where we work, where we socialize, or where we eat, change will come.  Despite the fact that people know change is coming, they will still resist it.  When people get settled into a comfortable routine, they don't like it when someone changes what they are doing and they have a tendency to dig in their heels.  This is particularly true in the workplace when people get used to doing something a certain way, they don't want anybody to upset the apple cart as the saying goes.  If a supervisor in the workplace wants to change the way things are done, the employees will get upset.  There are two possible reasons for their reaction, one technical and one social.  From the technical perspective, people will have to learn something new-a new way of doing it.  That probably means stopping everything an attending training.  For some employees this feels like starting over.  From the social perspective, reorganization probably takes place and the employees will have to move to a new desk, in a new location, and work with new people they have not worked with before.  They were very happy with the previous team arrangement.  Jack sat in the same cubicle with Jill.  Now he's in the cubicle with Rebecca.  Jack and never got along with Rebecca but now he has to work with her.  What a bummer!  If any managers want to manage change, they should recognize the two reasons people resist and take steps to minimize the negative aspect.  Good luck managing change.